Um... I just merely mentioned wanting to compare it to the 5.0. All I want are impressions, even better would be if somebody who tried them also happen to own the Heir 5.0.

The new Shures seem to be packed with some significant innovations, but it's the roll out and the pr machine (is there such a thing in the headphone industry?) will be in full effect for awhile. I'd like to hear comparisons with the Fiver, too. I'm sure there's a reviewer out there who will be able to do this before long, perhaps project86 or /joker/.

Seeing the price of those new Shures has made me grateful to have purchased (albeit 2nd hand) a pair of 8A and 4A for the same price - $1,000 is a lot of money - I would love to hear if the 5.0's can withstand the challenge of the 846 - for just a bit more than half the price! (actually less than half of the $1299 list price)

The new Shures seem to be packed with some significant innovations, but it's the roll out and the pr machine (is there such a thing in the headphone industry?) will be in full effect for awhile. I'd like to hear comparisons with the Fiver, too. I'm sure there's a reviewer out there who will be able to do this before long, perhaps project86 or /joker/.

The headphone industry doesn't need a PR machine - we all do it for them on this website and continue to buy ever more expensive IEMs on these recommendations. When I first looked a this website, I used $50 sennheiser, then moved up to se210, se530, sm3, heir 5.0 from tmw (and various full sized) I dread to think what I'll buy next...

I shouldn't have sold them, I kind of regret it, the good thing is that I'll be getting the Tzar 350, I am going Neutral all the way that's my sound, lol!

I don't think the Tzar350 should be called neutral lol. It's so hyper clinical that the term neutral does not do it any justice!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottK

The headphone industry doesn't need a PR machine - we all do it for them on this website and continue to buy ever more expensive IEMs on these recommendations. When I first looked a this website, I used $50 sennheiser, then moved up to se210, se530, sm3, heir 5.0 from tmw (and various full sized) I dread to think what I'll buy next...

I currently have both the SE 535 and SE535LTD. The 4ai is significantly better in details!

Thanks for letting me know on the latest Shure 5 series incarnations... surprised even the 535 LTD model is not on par for detail. Thing is with this new SE846 if the price tag is to be $1200 it is hard to see how they will take on he

custom monitors out there.- just seems astronomical for a pair of universals.

Thanks for letting me know on the latest Shure 5 series incarnations... surprised even the 535 LTD model is not on par for detail. Thing is with this new SE846 if the price tag is to be $1200 it is hard to see how they will take on he

custom monitors out there.- just seems astronomical for a pair of universals.

TG 334, 1+2 and K3003 is around that level too. Some people just prefer them instead of customs and

Thanks for letting me know on the latest Shure 5 series incarnations... surprised even the 535 LTD model is not on par for detail. Thing is with this new SE846 if the price tag is to be $1200 it is hard to see how they will take on he

custom monitors out there.- just seems astronomical for a pair of universals.

The LTD is the heavily midcentric SE535+ extra emphasis on treble. It sounds rather bloated and never has the expansive feel the 4ai have.

The LTD is the heavily midcentric SE535+ extra emphasis on treble. It sounds rather bloated and never has the expansive feel the 4ai have.

I have owned the SE535 LTD since they came out till to about 2 months ago, and I think the use of bloated is a bit harsh, maybe just intimate, because thats what I remember, they have a really closed and intimate soundstage, and thats probably the reason for the "bloat"....

But otherwise yeah, they have a very, very, heavy mid-centric sound, but the detail is definitely there, maybe not Tzar 350 level, but close to the 4.Ais. And compared to the standard 535s they have a little less treble roll off, but still not close to being bright. Honestly, to me the sound sig is so much more different that I wouldn't compare them, but I guess form a price stand point you could.

I use the word bloated as I was expecting a significant improvement in the LTD over the stock SE535. Not to be, I can get my SE535 to sound similar if not identical to the LTD by simple EQing. With regards to detail, I wouldn't consider the SE535 detailed from a holistic perspective. It's very detailed in the mid frequencies as it is brought forward so much. But the 4ai is detailed from bass all the way to treble. I guess I am biased as I listen to more orchestral music vs vocal.

I use the word bloated as I was expecting a significant improvement in the LTD over the stock SE535. Not to be, I can get my SE535 to sound similar if not identical to the LTD by simple EQing. With regards to detail, I wouldn't consider the SE535 detailed from a holistic perspective. It's very detailed in the mid frequencies as it is brought forward so much. But the 4ai is detailed from bass all the way to treble. I guess I am biased as I listen to more orchestral music vs vocal.

Ah that makes quite a bit more sense, I used to listen to a lot of female vocal focused music, so the change from the 535's to the 4Ai's (and now the 8.A, though its entirely better than the 535 in every way..) didn't really hit me that hard. I remember the bass to be significantly lacking in impact and depth, but I always thought that they were as detailed as I needed them to be lol :P

I shouldn't have sold them, I kind of regret it, the good thing is that I'll be getting the Tzar 350, I am going Neutral all the way that's my sound, lol!

The TZAR 350 IS NOWHERE NEAR NEUTRAL. The 350's are analytical sounding detail monsters which means they're a colored sound just like a warm overly bassy piece of gear is considered colored. A neutral is considered uncolored and has no emphasis of it's own. The 350's treble has been overly tuned and emphasized which is a far cry from neutral.

Not to sound rude on the thread but I've been biting my tongue the last little while over all these posts calling the 350 neutral. I had the Tzar 350 sent to me by another head-fier and put a good amount of head time on it and I'm lost as to why so many people on here are calling the 350 neutral. Has anyone here even heard any gear that's actually neutral? A neutral will sound like absolutely nothing. The only time it will sound warm or bright is when the source music demands it to sound like that. An before anyone asks, yes, a neutral, a well done one at least, can sound warm with one song and overly analytical with another. A neutral will dutifully sound like whatever the music demands of it. A analytical will not do that no more then a bass cannon will. An analytical will always sound analytical and will always have overly aggressive treble because it was tuned that way. It will not play the music the way it was meant to be heard because it wasn't designed to. It was designed to sound analytical and extract a lot of micro detail from the music which is NOT NATURAL SOUNDING. Come on people, there's nothing wrong with being over the top with your product love but let's not go crazy and start putting a dress on a pig and naming it Marilyn Monroe.

Thank you! Alot of head-fiers throw around audiophile jargon that get's me confused on what means what. I guess I was also on the bandwagon thinking neutral=more detail. Thanks for clarifying. But just wondering, how do people tell if something is more neutral than another? I never understood how people could come up with the conclusion that something is "just north of neutral" etc.